Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau said on Friday that Hospital Authority officials will visit the mainland next week to learn more about organ donations and transplants there, as part of an SAR government plan to set up a cross-border organ donation programme.

Lo said he visited national health authorities in March and came up with an initial proposal for such a programme.

The idea is that if a donated organ is not needed on one side of the border, it can be offered for use on the other side, he said.

"This is a second stage of the distribution mechanism. It will not affect the existing organ distribution mechanism to local patients in Hong Kong," Lo explained.

"Under the existing mechanism, we have never pinpointed a specific organ recipient or a specific type of people. This not only fulfils international medical ethical standards but also ensures no discrimination is at play. So we will apply the same criteria to the new programme."

The health chief also said the identity of organ donors and recipients would be kept confidential, in line with international standards.